Fourth commandment: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (Exod. xx. 7). The word "vain" is defined to mean "worthless, fruitless;" that is, attended with no good results. And we can not conceive that it can be any more sinful to take the name of God in vain than that of a human being, or of any other object. It is not rational to suppose God, while superintending the movements of eighty-five millions of worlds, pays any attention to the manner in which the inhabitants of this little planet use his name, or that he cares any thing about it. And then how is it possible for us to know when we are using his name in vain, and when we are not?
Fifth commandment: "Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy." This commandment is universally laid aside by all Christendom. Nobody keeps the sabbath but the Jews. And as God himself does not keep the sabbath, but lets all nature run and work (her laws operate the same on that day as on all other days of the week), we can not believe the sabbath was instituted by him.
Sixth commandment: "Honor thy father and mother" (Exod. xx. 12). Pretty good; but the reason assigned for it is devoid of sense,—"That thy days may be long upon the earth." We have never learned that long-lived persons have been more dutiful to parents than others.
Seventh commandment: "Thou shalt not kill" (Exod. xx. 13). If the word "not" were left out, we would concede this commandment has been faithfully obeyed. His "holy people" were killing nearly all the time; and their successors (the Christians) have inundated the earth with blood by a constant violation of this command. What good, therefore, we would ask, has resulted from this commandment?
Tenth commandment. The tenth commandment forbids us to covet our neighbor's house, wife, or servant, or any of his property (covet, "to desire earnestly"). We can not conceive how there can be any moral turpitude in the act of desiring to possess any of our neighbor's property, or even his wife, if no improper means are used to obtain them. The command was doubtless issued to keep the poor man from aping the rich, and to make him content with his own lot and condition.
The above will be understood to be the true exposition of "the holy commandments of the Lord," "the ten glorious laws of God," when people become accustomed to use their reason in matters of religion.